Industry 4.0 – an amalgamation of information technology and manufacturing technologies - is bringing together robots, data and connected devices for creating a productive environment.

The Indian auto industry is often touted as the fastest growing industry in the world. This industry is prominently known for a consistent release in products, with OEMs coming out with newer models every six month, be it diesel or petrol variants

Maxion Wheels’ newest endeavour in India is to locally produce aluminium wheels for a market that wants more than just lighter wheels. The company aims to initially produce two million wheels.

With the deadlines inching closer, demand for certain technologies are gaining prominence, which is forcing the auto industry to be ready and be upto scale. Be it BS VI norms, electrification or technology disruptions in terms of IoT, much like a universe, the industry is expanding from all sides. The Indian automotive industry has been through some major upheavals, but none like the recent couple of years. From financial to technological disruptions, the industry, which comprises of a healthy blend of OEMs and tiered suppliers, has been either scrambling or sailing smoothly through the tides of change. Certain trends prove to be beneficial to some manufacturers while some others will be washed away with the tides of change.

Shamsher Dewan in this report provides insights into the proposed BS-VI emission norms and its likely impact on technology along with vehicle pricing going forward. The report also summarises the change in technology that petrol & diesel vehicles have seen across various emission standards along with pros & cons of available technologies.

Automobile manufacturers’ apex association SIAM released their observations of the industry’s sales in the April-February period of this fiscal. According to the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers, the industry produced a total of 26,402,671 vehicles including passenger vehicles, commmercial vehicles, three wheelers, two wheelers and quadricycle in April-February 2018 as against 23,078,120 in April-February 2017, registering a growth of 14.41 per cent over the same period last year.

The industry’s biggest show was a display of the technological strength and prowess of the auto manufacturing sector, showcasing the current trends that are the current driving factors.

Budget’s continued thrust on infrastructure and other government initiatives for rural development & last-mile connectivity for goods are likely to help commercial vehicles segment to scale new heights.

Smarter, lighter, more effective: A time-old technology that has been servicing humankind couldn’t possibly be perfected any further. However, with the advent of newer materials and technology, can wheels compete with the road condition.